Overnight
leader Tina Mayolo-Pic (US) relinquished the lead to Australian-based
Nicole Freedman (Israel) in a dramatic second stage of the Trust House
Women’s Cycle Tour of New Zealand.

But
the yellow-jersey swapping shoulders wasn’t talk of the day. Rather, it
was the wind. Wellington isn’t known as the windy city for nothing and
over the first 20km the gales were blowing with a vengeance – as pure
cross-wind.

The
rugged Rimutaka mountains which overlook the Wairarapa channel the wind
straight down onto the plains. Echelons here commonly run virtually at
right angles to the direction of the road and many are the locals who can
recall being blown from their bikes.

So
no doubt there was a good deal of local sympathy for the dozen
internationals who were tossed to the ground within the first 5km. The
race was halted and calling the stage off was a serious possibility.

Luckily,
though, the decision was made to resume, with a 12km neutralized zone
seeing the riders sheltering beside service and teams vans.

“I’ve
never seen conditions like that. I’ve been racing 10 years and I’ve
never been in wind like that. It was pretty dangerous,” said yellow-clad
Freedman after the stage.

“I
flipped off my bike in the neutral and ended up in the grass. But I think
the promoter made the right call because after the neutral the wind was a
lot less,” she said.

Behind
Freedman, Katie Brown (Australia) took second place in a tight five-rider
sprint into Masterton, with Miho Oki (Japan) third – the first three
riders benefiting from ten, six and four second time bonuses. Daniela Fusa
Poli (Italy) was edged into fourth, with New Zealand national champion
Catherine Sell the first kiwi home in 5th.

The
break got away before the rolling roads which lead into Masterton. The
main field never got properly organized and by the finish was 3min 43s
down.

With
just a one-hour criterium and a 12km time trial to go, such a buffer makes
it almost certain one of the five break riders will take the final GC. A
word of caution, though. The time trial course around the Wellington
coastline can be windy – very windy.